Oyster-opener.



C. J. OTTUM.

OYSTER OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. ms.

1,159,262. Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

. V CLARENCE :r. OTTUM, or PIERPONT, SOUTHDAKOTA.

. OYSTER-OPENER; 7

Application fi led. July 28,1915. Seria1No.4 2,382.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE J. OTTUM,

a citizen oflthe United States, residing at Pierpont, in thecounty ofDay and'State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oyster-Openers; and I do herebydeclare the following tobe a full, clear, and'eXact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make andusethe same. v :7

This invention is an improvedfoyster opener, the object of theinventionbeing to provide an improved implement of this kind which is cheap andsimplein construction, is strongand durable,'and by means of g I tendrearwardly from the cross bar 7 of the handle and are pivotallyconnected thereto which oysters, clams and the. like may be readily andvery expeditiously opened. The invention consists in the constructlon,

combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of an oysteropener, constructed in accordance. with my invention.

' plane indicatedby the line 5 of Fig.1."

Fig. 2 is a detail transverse sectional view of the same on the planeindicated by the line a-a of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a similar view on theFig. 4 is a detail elevation partly in section, on the line c-c of Fig.1.

In the embodiment ofmy invention I pro- Vide' a. pair of opening aws 1which are substantially 'weclge shaped and provided with points 2 attheir outer ends which are adapted to be initially inserted between themembers of the shell. At a suitable distance-from the points, the jawsare provided on their outer sides with notches 8 and one jaw has a stud4 adapted to enter a bore 5 in the opposite jaw.

The handle 6 is substantially T-shaped and is here shown as made of asingle piece of bent rod of suitable gage and as provided with a crossportion 7 and a pair of parallel arms 8 which are connected to the endsof the cross portion by S-shaped bends 9. The jaws 1 are provided withinwardly extend ing arms 10 which are pivotally connected to the arms 8as at 11 so that said jaws are arranged to move toward and from eachother. At a suitable distance from their points their jaws are providedon their inner sides with cam shoulders 12.

Guide elements 13 which are here shown as rings, are arranged betweenthe arms 10 of the jaws and connected thereto by springs Specificationof Letters Patent. 1 '"Pate'nted N 2 1915,

14 which hold the guide rings midwa be tween'the' arms of thejaws andalso serve-to draw the jaws together and normally hold them inclosed'relation as shown in Fig. 1.

Cross braces 15 connect the arms Sand are provided with centrallyarranged guide openings 16. The cross head or portion? of the handle isalsoprovided with a cen-' trally arranged guide opening 17. Anoperatingrod 18 is arranged for longitudinal movement and passes through the saidguide and is provided at its inner'end with a cam "head 19 which isadapted to'be inserted between thecam shoulders'12of thejaws- At theouter end of the operating rod is apush button or knob 2O. A pa'ir oflinks 21 exat their front ends as at 22. Links 23 are pivotallyconnected to the links 21 as at 24 and are pivotally connected to theoperating as at 28, said coiled springsserving to normally draw therod18 rearwardly so as to cause the cam head 19 to clear the cam shoul ders12 and hence enable the jaws to be nor-,

mally. held inolosed relation,:as shown in Fig. 1, by the springs 14.

In using the device to open an oyster or" clam the points 2 are firstinserted between I the shells and pushed in until the notches 3 are atthe outer edges of the shell. The opener is then turned'by means of thehandle 6 thus partly opening the shells and causing them to grip in thenotches 3, and thus prevent the shells from slippingfThe rod 18 is thenpushed forwardly by pressure on the knob or button 20thus causing thecam head 19 to pass forwardly between the cam shoul ders 12 and coactwith said cam shoulders to a move the jaws apart, thus completing theopening of the oyster or clam. as will be understood.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred form of my invention.1 would have it understood that changesv may be made in theform,proportion and construction ofthe several parts without departing fromthe spirit of theinvention, and within the scope of "the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:- I

1. An oyster opener comprising a handle,

a pair of jaws having opening points and pivotally connected to thehandle for movement toward and from each other, springs to normallyclose the jaws and an operating rod slidably mounted in the handle andhaving a cam head to move between the jaws and force them apart.

2. An oyster opener comprising a handle, a pair of jaws having openingpoints and pivotally connected to the handle for movement toward andfrom each other, springs to normally close the jaws and an operating rodslidably mounted in the handle and having a cam head to move between thejaws and force them apart, the said jaws having shell engaging notchesin their outer sides spaced from their points.

8. An oyster opener comprising a handle a pair of jaws havingopeningapoints and pivotally connected to the'handle for movement towardand from each other, springs to normally close the jaws and an operatingrod slidably mounted inthe handle and having a cam head to move betweenthe jaws and force them apart, and a spring to normally move the rodrearwardly and disengage the cam head from the jaws.

4. An oyster opener comprising a handle, a pair of jaws having openingpoints and pivotally connected to the handle for movement toward andfrom the other, springs to normally close the jaws and an operating rodslidably mounted in the handle and having a cam head to move between thejaws and force them apart, links pivotally' connected to the handleatpoints placed from opposite sides of the operating rods and linkspivotally'connected to the operating rod and also pivotally connected tothe first named link.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE J. OTTUM. Witnesses:

R. F. MOHR, A. M. VON WALD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained'for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). C.

